City Council Candidates City Government Doug Kelly

Lina Leads the Way

posted on Mar. 04, 2022 at 1:25 amMarch 4, 2022

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By Doug Kelly

The dictionary should put a picture of Lina Teixeira (pronounced Tay-SHARE-UH) next to the words energy, enthusiastic, affable, charisma and character. She’s like the Energizer Bunny on two legs.

Lina loves Clearwater, simple and pure. She’s a member of 11 – count ’em, ELEVEN – organizations and boards: St Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, Clearwater Neighborhoods Coalition, the Steering Committee on AchievHERS, SAFE Strategic Alliance to Fight Exploitation in Tampa Bay, Working Women of Tampa Bay, Island Estates Women’s Club, Vice Chair of the Clearwater Downtown Partnership, the city’s Covid-19 Task Force, the Code Enforcement Board and Amplify Clearwater. She’s also the former President of the Downtown Merchants Association, the Downtown Development Board and the League of Women Voters.

And to know her is to be a friend. She and husband Frank personify the perfect companions: chatty, upbeat, exemplary in character.

Lina’s parents lived in Portugal and both only reached the fifth grade. They immigrated to Montreal, where she grew up. And in their baggage was a vision of good things to come, a grit to embrace change, to grasp challenges and to never give up.

That heritage resonates with Lina, a charming blend of artistic talent and dedication to family, friends and community. Lina is a health professional who earned a nursing degree. She graduated along with husband Frank from nursing school and both intended to become traveling nurses. After a stint in Lakeland, she accepted a job as a pharmaceutical rep in Clearwater, and here they’ve resided ever since. Frank started a medical research company in South Greenwood, which they’ve owned for the past 20 years.

They’ve also lived in various neighborhoods throughout Clearwater, giving Lina a unique perspective on how residents view local government and what’s needed to make life easier and more fulfilling.

That knowledge and commitment to Clearwater is why Lina is running for Seat 5 on the Clearwater City Council. “Because of my children and everyone’s children,” she said. “They’re the future, and I feel driven to help bring about all that’s needed for our city to meet the needs and desires of our present residents and our next generation of residents.”

She’s proud of promoting the Arts and brought the Dali exhibit to Clearwater and engaged local artists to bring their exhibits. Lina also came up with the concept and original song featuring Chris McCarty for Downtown Clearwater’s official “Sail Away” video.

On an even wider scale, Lina is an advocate for SAFE – the Strategic Alliance to Fight Exploitation – in Tampa Bay, putting her in the forefront of fighting the scourge of human trafficking. She’s also involved in organizations that empower, strengthen and support women and serves on the COVID 19 taskforce.

Lina admires those who put family above all else, stating that she feels sorry for families dealing with infidelity and low moral conduct, particularly when children are involved. But all she can do is keep her house in order and encourage others to do likewise. Her unique talent as an artist and achievements in Wearable Art became airborne when her daughter Bianca worked as a model. During one of Bianca’s events, a garment went missing and Lina said, “Fine, I’ll make it myself.” Her creation first gained notice on the front page of a newspaper, then appeared in a magazine and ultimately displayed in the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg. She once even opened a fashion show in Atlantic City for two Project Runway designers. Lina’s son, Lucas, also has been a fashion model, so that attribute runs in the family.

A close-knit family is a treasure she truly values as the case with most families. That’s another reason that propels her to reach outside her comfort zone and to try and help all citizens in Clearwater to reach their comfort zones as well.

Between being a business owner, mother, loving wife and volunteer in so many ways for Clearwater’s community, you may see Lina Teixeira on the campaign trail or waving signs on Gulf to Bay between now and the City Council election March 15, 2022. Said one supporter, “Lina is a wonderful and caring person with a big heart who will work tirelessly in behalf of everyone in Clearwater.”

Those are but just some of the reasons Kelly and I fully support Lina’s campaign and so does Clearwater Mayor Frank Hibbard, former Mayor Brian Aungst Sr. and Councilmember Hoyt Hamilton. She’s also been endorsed by the Clearwater Firefighter Association as well as the Amplify Clearwater Chamber of Commerce’s CLEARPAC. You can send in a mail ballot if you’ve already received one or vote in person on March 15th at a polling precinct (find yours at votepinellas.com).